Sweet Revenge
by blue-eyed claudia
Summary: Inspired by the Vampire Chronicles. Since Claudia's ashes weren't scattered after she was burned by the sun's rays, she lives on and seeks her revenge on Armand and Lestat.
1. Oh sweet pain, my driving force

**Sweet Revenge**

Summary: Since Claudia's ashes weren't scattered after Armand and his troupe allowed her to be burned by the sun, she still lives on…she slowly regains her strength and decides to take her revenge on Armand and Lestat.

Disclaimer: I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter 1: Oh sweet pain, my driving force

Paris: 1905: Sundown

Long after the Theatre des Vampires has burned down, the ruins still remain. Once populated by a fantastic troupe of blood thirsty vampires, it is now a place where only the ashes of those and rats remain. A place rank with disease, a long forgotten evil, and a slight stirring of life. Down, deep down in the dungeons, where the vampire Armand and Celeste, among the rest of his followers made their lair, the slightest of slight rustlings is heard. Another rat? Perhaps a stray cat? No…the noise's source is larger than either the former or the latter…past Armand's long forgotten private quarters, in a solitary cell, here is the being.

Burned to black beyond recognition, still dressed in a small yellow dress, it slowly stirs to semi-consciousness. Short, raspy breaths emerge from its wrinkled form. Fingers grasping at nothing, a head distinguished by a headful of curly blonde hair, its eyes slowly open. It gasps frightfully and quivers for but a moment. Glancing around the cell, looking fearfully up at a grate that used to show the outside world, but now shows only signs of rubble, realization dawns. _I'm alive…after being mercilessly burned by daylight, after being imprisoned and watching them take away…my Louis…_glancing down at her tiny, child-like hands, she grits her teeth. _They ruined my life. Or at least what was left of it. They tore me from my father…my lover._ A large rat suddenly scurries across the stone floor. Moving rather sluggishly, she manages to catch it. _A rat. I should not be reduced to surviving off these. Louis used to…no I must not think of Louis. No…why should I be feeding off of these pathetic excuses for a living being, while I used to feed off of the best that the world had to offer_. She runs her tongue over her sharp incisors, relishing the cold, sharp feeling. She brings the rat to her lips, and hungrily drinks every last drop of its blood. _It has been so long since I had a proper meal. Far too long for any mortal to have survived. But me, I'm immortal. I'm not like the fools who tried to put an end to me! They may have done away with Madeline, but they did not with me. Their actions against me cannot and will not be taken lightly._ Another unfortunate rat tried to get past her and met the same fate as its predecessor. She slowly stood up and walked over to the now open entrance to her cold cell.

_Armand. Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward, I, Claudia, will seek to destroy you and your kin._

A.N.: Sorry! I know that the first chapter is really short, but it's really more of an introduction or prologue. The second chapter will be much longer, but will feature another main character's P.O.V. If anyone is wondering (which I hope you aren't), the italicized parts throughout this story will be the characters' thoughts. R&R!


	2. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

A.N.: This chapter is much, much longer than the first. It has another character's POV, and a new character which I created is introduced.

Disclaimer: I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter 2: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

New Orleans: 1905: Midnight

_Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward, I, Claudia, will seek to destroy you and your kin._ Lestat de Lioncourt stopped midstride as these thoughts echoed through his head. _What in the name of…did I just hear Claudia? Don't be a fool Lestat. Claudia has been dead for years. You were the one to personally condemn her, remember?_ Lightly shaking his head, he proceeded to stroll down the streets of New Orleans._ I wonder if I should seek out Louis. Louis always had that maddening pessimistic, reasonable view on matters such as these. Ah, if only he didn't aspire to be human! He would make such a fine vampire, were he to abandon all his needless tradition. Oh, there's a fine looking morsel…_Lestat's thoughts trailed off as the bloodlust was overwhelmingly felt. "Excuse me! Madame! Would you allow me the pleasure of your company?"

The lovely brunette blushed and agreed, while shyly linking arms with the slightly pale man. Had Lestat just woken up from his slumber, he would have had skin cold to the touch, and would have been extremely pale, almost like marble. But, this was not his first meal of the night. No, not by any measure. The French nobleman grinned wolfishly (carefully hiding his canines) and led the young woman into the tavern. "Two cups of brandy, if you please." Lestat's eyes had mesmerized the bartender. _Look away. If you chance to look back, do not look at me or the woman with me too closely, and avoid conversation with us as much as possible. When we leave, you will immediately forget about the both of us._ He finished sending his commands to the slightly drunk bartender and turned back to his guest. "I don't believe that I have ever seen you around here madame. Are you from these parts?" He grinned wolfishly once again, and made sure that he made eye contact with the young woman. Slowly, but surely, the woman's eyes became slightly glazed. "No, sir, I just recently came here with my family from England. My father has a very successful business stationed in London, and decided to expand its reach to America." Lestat inwardly grimaced. _A young beauty from England. I loathe all Englishmen. I will toy with her more so than with my other usual victims. Perhaps I will even give her the Dark Gift._ Meanwhile, he had been grinning pleasantly and nodding his head accordingly to what she was saying. The cups of brandy finally arrived. The woman eagerly, but gracefully reached for hers and began to drink it, but he left his alone, as he no longer partook of any food or drink. As she was drinking her fill, Lestat watched her, bemused, and ruffled his hand through his blonde, silky mane of hair. "What did you say your name was?" asked the brunette. Lestat smiled once again, savoring the moment. "I am Lestat de Lioncourt. I come from a noble family in France, centuries old." The young woman blushed slightly and tried to look away, but he continued to hold her gaze. _Thought you had power over me, Marius? Tried to keep me and the rest of our dark brethren in the darkness, did you? I am the one that holds the true power. You have been Akasha's and Enkil's keeper and guardian for hundreds, no, thousands of years, and never got a single response for all of your tedious work and tentative "worship". The first time I entered the chamber alone to serenade them with a violin, I elicited a response from not one, but both of the Parents! Akasha allowed me, encouraged me to receive the sweet, powerful nectar that flows through her ageless, perfected body. We exchanged blood, memories, dreams, the essence of life…_Lestat gently grasped the fair lady's hand and led her out of the tavern.

He led her down the dimly lit street, with her hand on his arm and his arm around her waist. _Then, ever jealous Enkil got up and sought to kill me, for I had captured the heart of Akasha. You see, Marius, you have no true power over me._ Satisfied with himself, Lestat led her to his mansion. "May I take your coat?" "Oh yes, thank you. Oh, and my name is Gabrielle Smith." At this, he froze. Gabrielle? What kind of twist of fate was this? It was as though the gods were taunting him. Gabrielle…_I don't see why I should be feeling wary of her. If I can make my own mother into my kind, why should I be feeling so…apprehensive, so…guilty…_he quickly snapped back to the present. "What a beautiful name. Suits you perfectly." He continued to gaze at her, and gently brought her hand to his lips. Gabrielle blushed a lovely shade of red. The bloodlust roared loudly in his ears. All that warm, fresh, alive blood so close. All his._ No, no Lestat. You must hold yourself back for just a bit longer._ Gabrielle pressed herself against him. "You are a very enchanting man, Lestat." He could smell the brandy on her breath, though she had only had two glasses._ This ought to make everything interesting_. "As are you, darling." One of his arms snaked its way across the back of her neck. "Oh…Lestat…I- " "Shhh…quiet now, love." He kissed her softly on the cheek and could feel her swooning. He kissed his way down her soft, supple, fair skin on her neck. Her vein was fairly easy to find, pulsing faintly just below the fragile skin. All of his senses were completely blotted out by the roaring of the bloodlust now._ Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward, I, Claudia_- hearing Claudia's name again, Lestat bit down on her neck out of surprise. Her blood began pouring into his open mouth.

Latching onto her neck, he spun into a mixture of emotion, memories, and waves of pleasure. As her heart began slowing, he came back to the realization that he intended to make her into a Child of Darkness. He pulled away from her and held her up by her arms in front of him. "Gabrielle, can you still hear me?" "Yes…" came her weak reply. "I'm going to give you a choice, a choice between life and death. Would you rather have death, and the mysteries that lie beyond? Or…life, and all its benefits?" Gabrielle's eyes fluttered open, "Give me life. I want life." Lestat smiled his signature grin. "I am going to drain you of your blood to the very point of death. At this point, I will release you. During this time, you must concentrate on your will to survive. Think of nothing else. Are you ready?" Before she could have any second thoughts, he had latched onto her again. He could feel her heart and his heart pounding, beating as one. This was the part that he longed for the most: the joining of two different lives, two different souls. He pulled away as he felt her heart beating at a dangerously low pulse. Speaking softly in her ear, he reassured her. "Stay strong Gabrielle. Concentrate on your life, how badly you want it." Taking his ring off of his ring finger on his left hand, he cut the vein in his wrist just enough so that there was a small stream of blood. "Drink." She was falling limp in his arms. "Gabrielle, drink." No movement from her now. "Drink!" The nobleman's eyes flashed and he pressed his wrist to her mouth. His immortal blood slowly started to flow down her throat. She started to regain some of her movement, so he knew the Dark Gift was taking hold. Suddenly, Gabrielle's eyes opened and she grabbed hold of his wrist. _This is really starting to burn now_. "That's enough now." She didn't let go of him. "That's enough." His wrist began burning, as if fire were consuming it. "Enough!" Lestat wrenched his wrist away from Gabrielle's mouth. She looked up at him, almost sadly. Lestat sat down, literally drained of his energy. "I…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me. I couldn't stop." Lestat looked over at her. She had stopped talking and her eyes were wide open in shock, looking around the room and studying the smallest things.

"A change is coming over you. The reason that you see, smell, hear, and feel everything in such sharp relief is because you are no longer human. You are becoming a vampire." Gabrielle had begun to take an almost inner light, as her skin began to almost glimmer. "Lestat…I've never seen anything like this! These colors! These sounds! These-" She slightly grimaced and parted her lips. "Your incisors. You'll need them for your strength and nourishment." Lestat said this almost lazily, while sitting in a dining room chair. It was now four a.m. "Follow me. You need to get at least one meal in before we retire for the night. Since you don't have your own coffin, you and I will have to share one until we have enough time to get you one." However, Gabrielle had started to look exceedingly uncomfortable. "Lestat, something is-" Her statement was cut off by a torrent of human fluids rushing out of her body. "You see love? That is why I left you right next to the lavatory, in the entry with stone floors." Gabrielle looked absolutely terrified. "Lestat, why-" Once again she was cut off. "Please, just go to the lavatory. It's three meters away!" Once she was inside, he continued: "Don't be afraid. Your body is dying. Not your soul, just your body. It is getting rid of all human waste and fluids. Things that are no longer necessary for your survival. Things no longer of use to us." After another fifteen minutes, Gabrielle's body was dead. "Come now. We must hurry. Sunrise is in two hours." With that, they left the house.

It didn't take long for them to find a grave robber. Gabrielle eagerly grabbed for his throat and Lestat had to pull her away soon afterward. "You fool! You can't drink dead blood! It will kill you!" He nervously ran his hand through his blonde hair. "See, you're already slowing down. Come." Gabrielle began cringing and hiding her face. "Lestat! Oh what is happening! My skin, I'm burning!" _My goodness, she is more sensitive than my mother…_Lestat held her to him and ran as fast as he could to the mansion. Few mortals were there when he sped past, and they neither saw nor heard his presence. He raced downstairs, down past the useless wine cellar and to the basement. "Gabrielle, this is where we must retire every night. If we fail to, we well get burned and will possibly cease to exist because of the sun's rays." He walked over to his coffin and lifted the lid. He laid down and said to her, "Come, before you experience any more pain." Gabrielle laid on top of him and he shut the coffin. Immediately, she was in the death-like sleep that overcomes all vampires.

_Ah, true darkness. Where I am most comfortable. With Louis, Armand, Marius, Gabrielle_ (A.N.: his mother)_, and Claudia gone, maybe this newborn will help. Claudia…I never should have created her. Louis was attached to her from the very beginning. But I got rid of her…the little prat…she tried to kill me! Twice, even! Failed both times, though._ He was struggling to keep awake._ Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me…_He froze._ No, she is dead. She is dead._ With that last thought, the darkness claimed him.

A.N.: I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make Lestat sound like himself as much as possible, since I'm not using any cursing in the story. R&R! Next chapter involves another new character in the plot!


	3. A Father and his Child

Disclaimer: I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter 3: A Father and His Child

New Orleans: 1905: Midnight

Latching onto her neck, he spun into a mixture of emotion, memories, and waves of pleasure. As her heart began slowing, he came back to the realization that he intended to make her into a Child of Darkness. He pulled away from her and held her up by her arms in front of him. "Gabrielle, can you still hear me?" "Yes…" came her weak reply. "I'm going to give you a choice, a choice between life and death. Would you rather have death, and the mysteries that lie beyond? Or…life, and all its benefits?" Gabrielle's eyes fluttered open, "Give me life. I want life." Lestat smiled his signature grin. "I am going to drain you of your blood to the very point of death. At this point, I will release you. During this time, you must concentrate on your will to survive. Think of nothing else. Are you ready?" Before she could have any second thoughts, he had latched onto her again. He could feel her heart and his heart pounding, beating as one. This was the part that he longed for the most: the joining of two different lives, two different souls. He pulled away as he felt her heart beating at a dangerously low pulse. Speaking softly in her ear, he reassured her. "Stay strong Gabrielle. Concentrate on your life, how badly you want it." Taking his ring off of his ring finger on his left hand, he cut the vein in his wrist just enough so that there was a small stream of blood. "Drink." She was falling limp in his arms. "Gabrielle, drink." No movement from her now. "Drink!" The nobleman's eyes flashed and he pressed his wrist to her mouth. His immortal blood slowly started to flow down her throat. She started to regain some of her movement, so he knew the Dark Gift was taking hold. Suddenly, Gabrielle's eyes opened and she grabbed hold of his wrist. _This is really starting to burn now_. "That's enough now." She didn't let go of him. "That's enough." His wrist began burning, as if fire were consuming it. "Enough!" Lestat wrenched his wrist away from Gabrielle's mouth. She looked up at him, almost sadly. Lestat sat down, literally drained of his energy. "I…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me. I couldn't stop." Lestat looked over at her. She had stopped talking and her eyes were wide open in shock, looking around the room and studying the smallest things.

"A change is coming over you. The reason that you see, smell, hear, and feel everything in such sharp relief is because you are no longer human. You are becoming a vampire." Gabrielle had begun to take an almost inner light, as her skin began to almost glimmer. "Lestat…I've never seen anything like this! These colors! These sounds! These-" She slightly grimaced and parted her lips. "Your incisors. You'll need them for your strength and nourishment." Lestat said this almost lazily, while sitting in a dining room chair. It was now four a.m. "Follow me. You need to get at least one meal in before we retire for the night. Since you don't have your own coffin, you and I will have to share one until we have enough time to get you one." However, Gabrielle had started to look exceedingly uncomfortable. "Lestat, something is-" Her statement was cut off by a torrent of human fluids rushing out of her body. "You see love? That is why I left you right next to the lavatory, in the entry with stone floors." Gabrielle looked absolutely terrified. "Lestat, why-" Once again she was cut off. "Please, just go to the lavatory. It's three meters away!" Once she was inside, he continued: "Don't be afraid. Your body is dying. Not your soul, just your body. It is getting rid of all human waste and fluids. Things that are no longer necessary for your survival. Things no longer of use to us." After another fifteen minutes, Gabrielle's body was dead. "Come now. We must hurry. Sunrise is in two hours." With that, they left the house.

It didn't take long for them to find a grave robber. Gabrielle eagerly grabbed for his throat and Lestat had to pull her away soon afterward. "You fool! You can't drink dead blood! It will kill you!" He nervously ran his hand through his blonde hair. "See, you're already slowing down. Come." Gabrielle began cringing and hiding her face. "Lestat! Oh what is happening! My skin, I'm burning!" _My goodness, she is more sensitive than my mother…_Lestat held her to him and ran as fast as he could to the mansion. Few mortals were there when he sped past, and they neither saw nor heard his presence. He raced downstairs, down past the useless wine cellar and to the basement. "Gabrielle, this is where we must retire every night. If we fail to, we well get burned and will possibly cease to exist because of the sun's rays." He walked over to his coffin and lifted the lid. He laid down and said to her, "Come, before you experience any more pain." Gabrielle laid on top of him and he shut the coffin. Immediately, she was in the death-like sleep that overcomes all vampires.

_Ah, true darkness. Where I am most comfortable. With Louis, Armand, Marius, Gabrielle_ (A.N.: his mother)_, and Claudia gone, maybe this newborn will help. Claudia…I never should have created her. Louis was attached to her from the very beginning. But I got rid of her…the little prat…she tried to kill me! Twice, even! Failed both times, though._ He was struggling to keep awake._ Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me…_He froze._ No, she is dead. She is dead._ With that last thought, the darkness claimed him.

A.N.: I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make Lestat sound like himself as much as possible, since I'm not using any cursing in the story. R&R! Next chapter involves another new character in the plot!


	4. Amadeo, You Misled Saint

Chapter 4: Amadeo, You Misled Saint

Rome: 1905: Sundown

The young man slowly opened his eyes. _The beginning of another night._ Not wanting to get up quite yet, he stayed still, listening to the sounds around him. A woman scolded her children for playing with their food, two apartments down. Men argued on the streets about women, sports, and anything else they could think of. Armand lifted the lid of his coffin and rose gracefully, as only vampires are accustomed to. Stretching his arms out, he studied his hands._ Exactly like the day I accepted the Dark Gift; only the fingernails are slightly more glossy._ Armand's mind traveled back to that fateful evening. He had long been working under his master, Marius. Occasionally, Marius would give him what he so desperately needed: a vampire's kiss. Every night, he looked forward to the prospect of such euphoria and bonding. When the chance finally came to become Marius' companion, Armand took it without hesitation. He had only been a boy of about seventeen or eighteen…

Walking languidly across the dark room, Armand finds that his hair has grown back to the length it was when he first became a Child of Darkness. Armand calls for his boy servant, "Henry!" As he waits for his arrival, he continues to ponder the extraordinary events that brought him here._ I enjoyed life with Marius. He was always so good to me, so kind. But then…_he slightly grimaced as he remembered the rest of his story. Now meaningless oaths were taken, unnecessary traditions were followed for centuries…a father was lost. Then, in the 1700s, he had met Lestat de Lioncourt and his mother and fledgling, Gabrielle. He had still been wasting his time and energy on unnecessary tradition when he had met them._ Lestat helped me come to terms with myself and my naïve commitment to my Dark Brethren. What did he call the pinnacle of our existence…The Savage Garden?_ Lestat had provided him with a new troupe, a troupe of actors and entertainers. _Where is Henry?_ "Henry!" Armand called again. His preternatural hearing finally picked up the boy's footsteps._ The Theatre des Vampires…we created it and ran it for years. It was there I met Louis, and the child, Claudia._ Henry arrived and began cutting Armand's hair. _A child, really. Maybe only five years old. An abomination._ He grimaced again._ Louis loved her. Then I killed her. I had to. I punished her and the other woman, Madeleine. _"What do you wish to wear sir?" Henry said this very eagerly._ Young fascination, quite like my own._ Armand smiled at the boy. "A pant suit, with a black opera cape, Henry. Make sure the suit is black." It was rare that Armand ever showed this much emotion. Normally, he was very guarded, with both his emotions and thoughts._ It took a long time for Claudia to burn. Nearly ten minutes passed by before her screaming stopped forever. _As he tied on his cape, his face took on a slightly saddened expression._ If only I hadn't been adhering to such strict guidelines. It wasn't right to kill her, not right. We lured her in, treated her with false acceptance and kindness. We told her Louis would be taken care of, that she could finally leave him- _Armand mentally shook himself. _No, she deserved her doom. Louis may not have been aware of the rules that the Children have laid down through the centuries, but Lestat was. _"Sir is everything alright…" Henry's voice trailed off fearfully. "Yes, Henry. Everything is fine." Armand felt the bloodlust waking. He knew that even Henry would be endangered if he were around him for much longer. Armand smiled pleasantly. "I have no further need of you right now. Stay close to the house, so that if I need or want anything you will be able to help out." Henry lowered his eyes and walked out of the dimly lit room. _Lestat wasted his power on that child. He knew the rules…_Armand fixed his appearance and left the house.

Walking along the streets of Rome, he breathed in deeply. Rome was beautiful, but it did not compare to Paris. _Home…I haven't been for at least a decade. Just a bit more time here. _Armand's hand went to tuck his hair behind his ear. He missed wearing his hair long. In the 1700s and 1800s, the times, cultures, and people were so much more sophisticated, so much more…romantic. Nothing depended upon tradition anymore. Everything in this century was about moving forward, expanding horizons, and creating new ideas. _One thing that I do approve of is the "absence" of drink from society. At least from here anyway. I hate the drink. It corrupts men and their sense of morality. I have no choice in it anymore, but they do._ Armand decided what was going to be his victim for the night: a rumrunner. Rumrunners were the sum of the world. They sold thousands and thousands of rum and other alcohol to the men of the world, _and the drink ruins their morality._ He walked down the streets, sending mental messages to all mortals he was passing by to stay away from him. He was also silently calling all rumrunners at the same time. As he was passing by the Catacombs, he realized that he had to play the part of a drinker, but he wasn't dressed appropriately. _What does it matter anymore? I'm almost six hundred years old. I can just mesmerize them, deceive them. _He turned around, and went into the entrance to the Catacombs.

With his preternatural sense of smell, he knew immediately that this was their stronghold. "Excuse me! I need some assistance." Within moments, a middle aged man had appeared. He was a mousy man, with thinning brown hair, watery blue eyes, and was wearing a Gucci suit. "Signor, I am Giovanni Bonaducci. How may I be of service to you?" _Typical of a rumrunner. Filthy rich._ "I am looking for bourbon whiskey. Two gallons, at least." The man's eyes lit up and he wrung his hands anxiously. "Signor, I have exactly what you are looking for. Please, follow me." Armand silently followed him into a large makeshift storeroom. The Catacombs were completely underground, so they were a perfect temperature to store the spirits and liquor. The small man turned back to Armand as he was walking, "A bit young, aren't you signor?" he said as he grinned. Armand merely said "One is never too young to enjoy what life has to offer" and kept his face strait. Giovanni grew somewhat somber after Armand's statement and continued on silently. _All employees of Signor Bonaducci: avert your attention from us. After I leave, you will not remember my presence, and will return to business as usual. _"Here we are, our bourbon whiskey." The strong smell filled the air and obliterated all other smells. Giovanni picked up a glass jar, "This is the best in all of Italy. Good choice. I would say…five thousand lira." Armand wrapped his left arm around the man's narrow shoulders. "Let's go talk this over somewhere more private, shall we?" and proceeded to steer them deeper into the Catacombs.

Once he felt that they were a sufficient distance away from the storage rooms, Armand stopped them. "Signor, I can assure you-" Giovanni was cut short because the auburn-haired angelic young man had him in a fatal embrace. A stream of images came pouring out: a privileged childhood, an angst filled adolescence, a family at home, and his job as a rumrunner. Both hearts were beating as one, and the ecstasy was at its greatest. Signor Bonaducci's heart began to slow very quickly. Everything would soon be over. Finally, his body slumped against Armand. _He was a good man before his business corrupted him. As was Marius…Lestat…me…Louis…the child too. _He arranged the corpse against a wall, and stuck a half empty bottle in the dead hand. Rigor mortis soon set in, and the body was now clutching the bottle of scotch. _Armand. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward, I, Claudia, will seek to destroy you and your kin. _The small, tinkling vice faded away slowly. Claudia? She had died, years ago, with Louis' other fledgling, Madeleine. Both were condemned to be burned by the sun, simply because they existed. _A trick of the mind, nothing more._ He silently slunk back through the passages, and out into the open. He could feel the blood filling him, nourishing him, refining him. He could feel his cells changing within him, already subtlety changing his outward appearance, making his skin harder, colder, like marble. _I'll always look like a young man, with the exception of my skin and eyes. _A sudden flashback hit him.

The yellow-haired little girl and voluptuous young woman being dragged into that dismal little cell. The small girl, screaming for Louis over and over, while the woman fell into shock and the blood tears began streaming down her face. The child fought, biting and thrashing, while the woman feebly struggled in Celeste's arms. They were thrown in the cell and the gate was quickly slammed shut and locked tightly. Claudia began calling down curses upon the troupe of vampires while Madeleine hid in the corner. An awful experience…_Armand. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward, I, Claudia, will seek to destroy you and your kin. _

Armand grew slightly confused. She was dead, long gone. He had seen her ashes. Pondering this, he roamed the streets of Rome. The rest of the night passed by in a blur. He fed maybe once, twice more, yet he couldn't remember his victims. When he finally went back to his house to retire and hide away from the sun, he had pushed Claudia to the furthest corner of his mind. "Henry bring to me my wallet." The boy rushed to get what Armand asked for. _So much like myself. I loved Marius. Henry loves me, but he is more driven by the things that I give him. _Armand paid him a hefty sum, but the boy had a glint in his eye. "Go now. The sun rises, and I must rest." Turning away from the boy, he continued down the stairs. Just before he opened his coffin, he felt something brushing his shoulders. _As my age progresses, my body heals faster. As my strength progresses, my hair grows back much more quickly._ He opened his coffin and lay down. He closed the coffin, as well as his eyes. The last thing that he thought of was the angelic little vampire, with her shining tresses and blazing eyes.


	5. A Porcelain Doll

A.N.: Sorry it took so long! I've had a lot of work lately. Enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter 5: A Porcelain Doll

Paris: 1905: Sundown

Every night, she retired to the ruins of the Theatre. _I loathe you Fathers! I loathe you! Because of your instantaneous choice, I am forever confined to this child's body!_ The little girl found some debris and threw it angrily against the wall. _Fools! _She walked into Armand's now forgotten private chambers. _No chance of redemption remains for either of you now. You are too far into your evil. _She remembered the day that Armand, Louis, and she had shared that conversation on the spiritual realm. _I had no choice. I was a child, desperate for care and for life! I did not know the decision that I made would cost me my life, my happiness, what little sources of comfort that I had!_ A few of Armand's pictures of God and the devil remained, but hardly any of them had escaped unscathed. _I am condemned to a living hell…_Claudia vividly recalled Armand lying to Louis, strengthening Louis' irrational beliefs that no God and no devil existed. _God exists. That's for certain. In every human, every aspect of life itself, that is one certain fact. But, if God exists, the devil does too…_The doll-like face hardened. She ran her tongue over her eye teeth, cutting into her tongue until the pain was searing. _These teeth are not of the Creator. Only a monster could conceive these. A monster, like Lestat. _Her blood boiled as she thought of him. _I once loved him, when he and Louis first made me. But I grew tired of him. He wouldn't become my slave. Not like Louis. I completely entranced Louis. Lestat was too rebellious, too close in nature to me. _Feeling hungry, Claudia decided to walk out in to the streets of Paris.

She found some dirt and filth and proceeded to cover herself in it. _Once I can get a fledgling's blood, I can heal my wounds, and I will finally be back in the lap of luxury. _Satisfied with her appearance, she went out. She looked exactly like she did when Louis first found her. Like a dirty, homeless orphan. "Please, Mesdames and Monsieurs, I am very hungry. Please help me." A bevy of people gathered around her. "Please." She could tell that she was going to eat well on this night, like she hadn't in years. But, one by one, all of the people drifted away from her. "Disgusting child…" "Filthy wretch…" "She actually expects to get some food. Fancy that." Slowly, the crowd dissipated. Her eyes began to glow with fury. "Please, I am but an orphaned child! I have no means to get any food!" A few people threw a little bit of money on the ground, but within a few moments, the entire square was empty. _No, no, no, no, no, no! _Claudia slammed her tiny fists down into the ground. Two small indents were left in the street. Since her skin was still very fragile because of her burns, the skin in the edges of her hands cracked and split open. Claudia winced. _Trivial pain, the worst kind._ She watched as her skin slowly healed her open cuts. Out of her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow that quickly moved from building to building. Chills crept up her spine. _Another vampire. Another. _Since Louis and Lestat had made her jointly, she had some of Lestat's strength and Louis' senses. The shadow was quickly attempting to get behind her. _Fool, I am no child. _She sensed the shadow come to a pause, which was exactly what she wanted. Using her preternatural speed, she came up next to the vampire. It started badly. _You were not expecting that, were you._ She smiled, deliberately flashing her canines. It was a young, female vampire. She had a gaunt face, a tall, lanky body, and stunning red hair. _You must be a vagabond. Pitiful. You need a leader, one who will teach you all that they know. _"Who…who are you…" the redhead managed to blurt out. Claudia smiled widely. Her eyes blazed with unbridled fury, passion, and pride. "I am Claudia. I am the one who originally humbled Lestat de Lioncourt. I nearly destroyed him!" The young vampire looked upon her with a mixture of horror and wonder in her gaze. "I am looking for a companion, preferably one that can introduce and educate me in the customs of these times." The fledgling stuttered, "I…I…I can do that." _Success. Now all I need is her blood and I will be ready to carry out my vendetta._ She smiled. "Good, now hunt with me." With that, they stalked off into the alleyway.

After they had hunted to their pleasure and satisfaction, they returned to the ruins of the Theatre des Vampires. "Once I replenish my strength, we will have a much more lavish abode." The small girl looked at the tall vampire suggestively. The young vagabond remained confused. "How, how, how will you become strong again?" Innocence clouded her chocolate brown eyes. The doll-like little girl's face went blank as she struggled to control her temper. _This will never work if I'm not going to be able to control and exploit this sad excuse for a vampire. Stay calm. _She smiled slightly and said calmly, "Well, that is why I have you by my side. You see, we both have one thing in common: our vampiric blood. Our blood heals any wounds that we get, almost instantaneously." The seemingly young woman nodded her head, still thoroughly confused. "I do not have strong enough blood to incur the necessary healings fast enough. I need some more blood." The fledgling was still confused. "How will you get the extra blood?" This made Claudia fly into a rage. "You fool! I do not know why anyone would waste their blood and powers on you! The only reason I ever even spoke to you was because I need your blood!" The small girl flew at the terrified young woman and threw her backwards.

Rather than helping out the young woman, Claudia grinned maliciously. _It's over. I'm…_She ran out of the underground ruins. Running past all the mortals and distractions, she reached her destination. Looking into the Seine River, she finally saw her reflection. A very tanned, gorgeous little girl that looked like a very expensive porcelain doll, with gleaming, curly yellow hair, and burning eyes. She exploded with unbridled joy, feeling the energy and also the vengeful feelings surge through her. Had any mortals been around, they would have seen a beautiful child, shouting in a voice that possessed a young girl's lovely timbre, and spinning gleefully in circles.

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	6. A Personal Vendetta

Disclaimer: I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter 6: A Personal Vendetta…

New Orleans: 1905: Sundown

_It has taken me so very long Evil Father. So very long indeed…_the small girl went ambling down the very loud streets of the French Quarters. She no longer felt the joy that she had felt on the banks of the Seine River. Oh no…now she only felt the cold emptiness, the anticipation of the fight to come. _You think yourself to be immortal. You prance around, "I drank from the Mother! I drank from Marius, from the Children of the Millennia!" Ha! Imagine your surprise when you see me, tanned, but alive and well_…walking along, she suddenly felt a presence. An unmistakable presence. A tall, blonde, very white, handsome looking man stood no less than two hundred feet away from her, and he had felt her too…….

Ok you probably thought that I was going to carry on with my chapter. Well, I'm not. You see, I recently read the article published on Christianity Today called "Interview with a Penitent". In the article, Anne Rice explains why she gave up writing the Vampire Chronicles. She says that at the time that she was going through some extremely hard struggles and that the books were her escape from the world, as well as from God. She was a self proclaimed atheist at the time, and was using them to explore her feelings about the Lord and the devil, as well as other matters of spirituality and the world at large. As I continued reading, I realized that I also have no need for continuing to explore such a dark and dismal subject, enchanting as it is. All together, it just creates a dark vortex that I cannot escape from. The creatures that she has painted, as well as I, are extremely, if not supremely evil. I have already written other stories under this pen name so I will not be changing it. Had I only written Sweet Revenge, I would have changed my pen name but I am not going to do that at this point. I do not advocate for anything evil, and I am ashamed that I have thus far. My talents are needed and should be used elsewhere. This is why I am discontinuing writing this story.

blue-eyed claudia


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